Bengaluru: 29-year-old female lawyer forced to strip on cam in ‘FedEx’ scam, defrauded of Rs 15 lakh

A woman in Bengaluru fell victim to the "FedEx scam," losing Rs 15 lakh to fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials. Coerced into transferring money under false pretences, she endured distressing demands, including stripping on camera. The culprits face charges of extortion and cheating under the Information Technology Act.

A distressing incident has emerged from Bengaluru, where a woman fell victim to a cyber scam, reportedly known as the "FedEx scam," resulting in a loss of Rs 15 lakh. According to the reports, the woman, a lawyer, was targeted by individuals posing as law enforcement officers, who coerced her into transferring a significant sum of money under pretences.

The ordeal began when the woman received a call on April 3 from someone claiming to be an official from the Mumbai police department. The caller alleged that a parcel containing 140 grams of narcotic drugs, purportedly originating from Thailand via FedEx, had been addressed to her. This claim was followed by another individual, purportedly a "higher official" from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who took over the call, asserting that trafficking and money laundering cases had been registered against her.

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Under the guise of investigating the alleged offences, the fraudsters manipulated the woman into complying with their demands. They coerced her into turning on her webcam and sharing her screen for an extended period, lasting over 36 hours. During this time, the woman was subjected to distressing demands, including stripping in front of the camera for a purported "narcotics test."

The situation escalated when the culprits forced the woman to transfer Rs 10.7 lakh to purportedly verify previous transactions. Subsequently, she was forced into transferring an additional Rs 4 lakh using her credit card. Throughout the trial, the fraudsters maintained pressure on the victim, threatening her and her family with dire consequences if she did not comply with their demands, stated a report on TOI.

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As the call progressed, the woman was compelled to transfer a total of Rs 15 lakh to various accounts specified by the fraudsters. The situation reached a distressing climax when, on the night of April 3, the cybercriminals allegedly coerced the woman into stripping on camera under the threat of arrest and harm to her family.

Feeling terrified and cornered, the victim finally decided to seek help and approached the police on April 5, after cutting off contact with the fraudsters. Authorities have since registered a case under the Information Technology Act, charging the perpetrators with extortion and cheating.